Patent Attorney / Patent Engineer

Location: Auckland, New Zealand; office-first and primarily onsite

Company

hirify.global develops solar-powered collars, satellite and mesh connectivity, and machine learning technology to help farmers manage cattle and operate more sustainably.

What you will do

• Partner with engineering teams to identify commercially valuable, patentable inventions.
• Draft patent specifications and claims covering firmware, software, machine learning, electronics, and mechanical systems.
• Manage patent prosecution end to end, including examination responses, amendments, and strategy with external counsel.
• Lead freedom-to-operate clearances and support invalidity work with engineers.
• Develop AI-enhanced tools and scalable systems for the IP function.
• Participate in hackathons, identify patent whitespace, and spend time on farms to understand the technology and applications.

Requirements

• Approximately 5–10 years of experience as a Patent Attorney or Patent Engineer.
• Strong technical expertise or serious interest in software, electronics, or machine learning.
• Experience with patentability assessments, drafting, prosecution, freedom-to-operate, and invalidity work.
• Curiosity about how technology works, including the ability to read design documents and code and collaborate closely with engineers.
• Interest in automating manual processes and developing AI-enhanced IP tools.
• Ability to work independently and determine what needs to be done.

Nice to have

• Background or strong interest in agriculture and agricultural technology.
• Legal background or litigation experience.
• Willingness to contribute beyond traditional IP responsibilities.

Culture & Benefits

• Office-first culture with flexibility when needed and a high-trust working environment.
• Southern Cross Health Insurance and wellness leave.
• Unlimited paid annual leave.
• Six months of fully paid parental leave for primary caregivers and four weeks for secondary caregivers.
• Annual $1,000 personal development budget.
• Remuneration package including salary, benefits, and an employee stock ownership plan.

Hiring process

• Submit a cover letter explaining interest in the role and hirify.global, together with a CV.